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Fathers and Children’s Executive Function

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Abstract

There is robust evidence that multiple dimensions of parenting are linked to early childhood executive function (EF). However, father figures have rarely been included in this research, so their role in the process of supporting child EF is just beginning to be understood. This chapter examines the theoretical rationale for parenting effects on EF and identifies hypotheses specific to the importance of fathers. Empirical evidence for both mother-child and father-child links is reviewed, including research with children and families experiencing high stress. Implications for including father figures in parenting interventions focused on boosting children’s EF skills are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Alyssa S. Meuwissen

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  1. Alyssa S. Meuwissen
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Correspondence to Alyssa S. Meuwissen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Hiram E. Fitzgerald

  2. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany

    Kai von Klitzing

  3. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Natasha J. Cabrera

  4. Graduate Program in Educational Psychology, Centro Universitário FIEO, Osasco, São Paulo, Brazil

    Júlia Scarano de Mendonça

  5. Division of Mental Health, Akershus University Hospital HF, Lørenskog, Norway

    Thomas Skjøthaug

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Meuwissen, A.S. (2020). Fathers and Children’s Executive Function. In: Fitzgerald, H.E., von Klitzing, K., Cabrera, N.J., Scarano de Mendonça, J., Skjøthaug, T. (eds) Handbook of Fathers and Child Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51027-5_25

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